To Fix a Broken Heart
by FireTurnsToAsh
Summary: She was broken, fragile and in pieces. Cora was a troubled girl who just happened to get involved with the Shelby family. No one ever asks for a dangerous life but when it's thrown at you, there are only two things you can do; let it engulf you or run away and she didn't want to run. Set during season 5. Tommy/OC/Michael
1. Prologue

**To Fix a Broken Heart**

**Summary: **She was broken, fragile and in pieces. Cora was a troubled girl who just happened to get involved with the Shelby family. No one ever asks for a dangerous life but when it's thrown at you, there are only two things you can do; let it engulf you or run away and she didn't want to run.

**Prologue **

* * *

_October 1927_

She wrapped her fur coat around her frame a little tighter as she stepped through the cold and dirty city streets of Paris; she hadn't been here long and Cora already knew that she didn't want to spend another second in this god forsaken hole, but this was where her father told her, her career as a ballerina would take off. Cora longed to be back on English soil but if she wanted her success, she had to continue to tour Europe with her partner, Julian and her choreographer, Edward. The one thing that was getting her through her time in Paris was Edward; she had loved him for a couple of years and when he suggested the idea of marriage, she couldn't refuse. Cora adjusted her engagement ring before stepping into the hotel that they had been residing in for the past couple of months. She climbed the staircase until she reached her floor and unlocked her room to stumble upon Edward entangled in an embrace with Julian. Their hands were all over each other and their lips were locked in a passionate kiss; it was a way that he had never kissed her before. When she dropped her bag, the thud drew their attention to her, and they separated almost immediately.

"Cora," Edward said breathlessly as his eyes roamed over the face of hurt and betrayal. Before he could stop her, she had bounded over to him and slapped him as hard as she could. The force of her hit made him fall back onto the bed but before she could get another hit in, he gripped her by the wrist and returned to his feet. "Cora, you need to calm down and let me explain."

"I chose not to listen to the rumours about you, I am supposed to be marrying you in a month's time." Her vision was blurred by her tears, but she could see the embarrassment oozing from Edward's face. "How could you do this to me? I have been nothing but good to you."

"Do you think I chose to be like this?" he shouted at her, shaking her body back and forth.

"I don't care if you are attracted to men, I won't ask and you will not tell me, but I will not be embarrassed by having a man break of an engagement with me." Cora loved Edward and she wanted nothing more than for him to be happy, regardless of who it was with, she just wished it could've been her; but she knew if they called off the wedding, she would bring shame onto her family.

"I am sure we can come to some sort of an agreement." Julian piped up as he buttoned up his shirt, when both sets of eyes were on his face, he pursed his lips and stood up straight. "But only if you can keep our secret, Cora."

She looked between the two men and felt the blood in her veins run cold. If she had of known what she was going to be setting in motion, she wouldn't have entertained the idea, but she was desperate for her career to take off and she lived in the hope that Edward would grow to love her if he was bound to her.

* * *

She swallowed back her doubts and ignored that voice in her head that told her to leave and never look back. "What is your bright idea, Julian?"

"I can see that you love Edward, the way you struck him could only come from a place of care, am I right?" Julian looked at her with a raised brow and watched as she nodded once, her eyes steering clear from Edward's sympathetic gaze. "Do you want to see us outcasted from society? Do you want to scramble to find a new partner and a new choreographer? Better yet, do you really want to go through another engagement?"

"No, I don't." she said in an almost whisper.

"Marry Edward to keep face. To the world the two of you will be a happy couple," Julian placed one hand on Edward's shoulder and the other in the space between Cora's shoulder blades, "but behind closed doors, Edward and I can continue our relationship. We love each other as I'm sure you'll understand. And I promise to you, we will not torment you by flaunting our relationship in front of you and we will never disgrace you."

Edward watched his fiancé contemplate her choices, he wasn't sure which way she would sway but he knew that she loved him enough to agree to their demands. "You can have any man you want, Cora while we're married. I could never deny you the chance of true happiness."

She nodded reluctantly and gave into their demands. It was the only feasible option that she could see; it meant that she could continue dancing at the peak of her youth and the other couple could live their lives without fear of being outcasted from society. They were the reasons why she accepted their proposition.

* * *

His flashbacks had only gotten worse, brought on by stress as the doctors said but they didn't know the half of it. He hesitantly took the pills they supplied him and leaned on his desk as he waited for them to take effect. When he heard the door to his study opened, Tommy turned to see Lizzie standing there with Ruby in her arms and Charlie lingering behind her. He tried his best to plaster a smile onto his face, but it was hard to grin throughout the torture that coursed his mind.

"What're you doin' Lizzie?" he croaked as his son ran towards him. He scooped him up and kept him on his hip.

"You can't stay cooped up in here, Tommy. It's not good for you." She was concerned for her husband, he spent many days and nights in here reading through documents and drinking his life away. "It'll drive you mad."

"Already has." He placed a tender kiss on the side of Charlie's head and placed him back on the floor. "I'll come out, just give me a moment." He nodded at Lizzie waiting for her to return the nod.

"Pol's been on the phone lookin' you."

He grunted at her as he sat down behind his desk and lit a cigarette quickly, he wasn't surprised that she was calling; she called almost every day begging Tommy to bring Michael back from New York. "Right."

* * *

Lizzie handed Ruby over to her brother and instructed for them to play in the hallway before she closed the door to his study. She approached his desk and waved for him to hand over a cigarette and when he complied, she kept it rested between her lips.

"Why won't you tell me what's gotten into you?"

He took a long drag from his cigarette and let the smoke escape his nose as he said, "Because I don't need to burden you with what's goin' on inside my head."

"I'm your wife, Tommy." She reminded him as he turned his gaze to the window. She worried about him, Lizzie acted like she didn't hear him punch his desk and turned a blind eye to the marks on his knuckles, but she didn't want to live like this. If Tommy hadn't have knocked her up, she knew that he wouldn't have married her.

"That's why I'm not tellin' you. I do care about you and I ain't draggin' you down with me. Not when you've done a good job of bringin' them kids up."

"If you can't tell me about your problems, then who can you tell?" she could see by his expressionless face that her words weren't getting through to him. Lizzie finally lit the cigarette and held it between her fingers as she stared at him through the smoke.

He wasn't the man that he used to be; what he had gone through in the war and with Changretta was starting to take its toll on his mental health. He thought he was doing the right thing by keeping quiet, but it hurt him more. Tommy came back to reality when he heard his study door close once more and when he looked forward, Lizzie had gone.

* * *

**A:N This is my first Peaky Blinders fanfic and I love the show so I hope I'm going to do it justice. I wanted to do a prologue to introduce Cora and her situation before jumping right into the first chapter. Let me know what you think and if you want to see more, follow the story. Next chapter will be a lot longer, I promise.**


	2. Kill Me With Kindness

**To Fix a Broken Heart**

**Summary: **She was broken, fragile and in pieces. Cora was a troubled girl who just happened to get involved with the Shelby family. No one ever asks for a dangerous life but when it's thrown at you, there are only two things you can do; let it engulf you or run away and she didn't want to run.

**Kill Me with Kindness**

* * *

_April 1928_

The car journey from Liverpool to Birmingham was long and tedious as she sat facing her husband and his lover; she had hoped that their honeymoon after her tour with Julian would've lifted her spirits but as she left the busy city of New York for dull Birmingham, she regretted accepting her father's invitation to appear at the opening of his dance school. She didn't just miss the busyness that New York offered, but she missed the acquaintance of a young man that she made while she was there. He was the only one that seemed to distract her from her disastrous marriage; but then again, he knew nothing about it or the healing he provided her.

"What do you think your father's academy will be like?" Edward looked at his wife as she stared out the window helplessly.

"Knowing Norman, it'll be pretentious and pristine." Julian retorted as he tried his best to mask his French accent with a terrible English one.

She looked at them with a raised brow, a smirk crossing her lips lazily. "Pretentious? His academy will be like the military; all he is trying to do is churn out a new ballerina before I expire."

"Expire… What do you mean?" Edward leaned forward in his seat and kept his eyes glued to Cora.

"Before you and I were wed I begged my father to let me return to England, but he pushed me further and harder until I was a recognisable name. Do you really think it's a coincidence that he opens up an academy shortly after I get married?" Her gaze returned to the countryside and she let out a grunt as she mumbled, "Now my only use is to become a baby factory and watch my successor take my spotlight."

Edward was concerned for Cora, she hadn't been herself since she got on the boat to return home, he was under the opinion that she wanted to go home but now he was starting to realise how quickly her wants changed after their wedding. He threw himself back into his seat and glanced at Julian with a sigh as he tried to work out what was going on with her; he hated seeing her in a mood.

* * *

The car stopped by the door of Norman Maxwell's house and within an instant of the car stopping, someone was there to help Cora out of the car. When she laid eyes on her father, she approached him slowly, Edward teetering behind her as Julian helped retrieve their luggage from the car.

"It's a bit odd to bring Julian with you on your honeymoon, isn't it dear?" Norman placed his arms around Cora and held her tightly.

"A honeymoon couldn't stop me from practicing, daddy." She glanced over her shoulder at Edward and tried her best to shrug her shoulders. "I had to be at peak performance levels for your grand opening." She lied smoothly as she gazed over her shoulder at her husband. She couldn't tell her father the truth, she hadn't practiced at all; she spent most of her time with an English boy across the pond while Edward and Julian spent their time together.

"That's good to hear, I want you to perform in front of all the people that invested into the academy. It'll be people of importance, so I'm glad to hear that you practiced." He let go of Cora and stepped towards Edward, shaking his hand firmly. "Give them bags to the help Julian, that's what I'm paying them for." He waved the three into his home and let them to his parlour. He poured them each a small glass of gin and passed it around.

* * *

"So, who are these investors?" Edward asked before taking a sip of the foul-smelling liquid.

"Ballet enthusiasts, business men of Birmingham and I even got help from an MP." Norman sounded impressed with himself, he had patted himself on the back many times and now that his building was on its feet, he could reap the rewards.

"I didn't think there would be many ballet enthusiasts in England," Julian said as he leant against the wall, his glass of gin by his hip, "this country doesn't seem as polished as the rest of Europe."

"You'd be surprised, Julian. When the British people catch wind of a successful English born ballerina, they all flock to it." Cora said with a smirk; she didn't share many traits with her father, but self-praise was one she did have. She knew she was a big deal, she had read the papers.

"With your help, we can make our grand opening a success." Norman fell quiet for a moment and stared down at the floor; he didn't know how Cora would react to his next request, but he was going to ask her anyway. "I was thinking, now that you are settled down and back in England, how would you like to teach?"

Cora shared a look with Edward as if she was saying 'I told you so' and cleared her throat. "Why on earth do you think I want to teach?"

"Well, I just thought that you and Edward would like to start a family soon."

"Starting a family is something that cannot be rushed, we've been trying plenty, haven't we love?" Edward said as he reached for Cora's hand, grasping her fingers as they dangled over the edge of her armchair. He smiled slightly when she gripped his hand properly.

"I don't think we should be discussing details of our honeymoon with my father." She tried to seem bashful and Cora could tell that her father was lapping up their charade. "Perhaps when I'm with child I will consider taking on a teaching role." She got onto her feet and downed her gin with a screwed-up face; it was so bitter that she almost choked. She looked at the glass with a raised brow and said, "Where did you buy this gin from?"

"That's Thomas Shelby's gin; he sent over a few bottles for the big opening. He's an investor you know? Well actually, he's the MP that'll be making an appearance."

"An MP that makes gin, I've heard it all now," she scoffed as she set the glass on a table before flowing out of the room, "I'll keep my mouth shut about his god-awful produce then."

* * *

"Fuckin' ballet? What has gotten into ya, Tommy?" Arthur complained as he followed his younger brother through the distillery. The Shelby's had moved on and created more than just gin; vodka was popular in Eastern Europe and now in London; Tommy planned on bringing it to Birmingham.

"I thought a dance academy would be a great addition to Small Heath," he smirked over his shoulder at Arthur and rolled his eyes, "I've got to think about what's best for Ruby, don't I? Do I want her gettin' pulled into all this? No." he stepped towards a crate of his triple distilled vodka and examined one of the bottles. "There are going to be many important people in attendance tonight, brother and with Mr Maxwell's permission, the party will be serving alcohol provided by Shelby Company Limited."

"What do you think John would make of you and I goin' to a bloody ballet show?"

"Wherever he is, he's screamin' at us." Tommy tried to remain positive, but his brother's death took a bigger toll on him than what he had let on. He blamed himself but if he didn't know what was going to happen, he would've taken the bullet himself if he could. "But he'd realise it's for the best if it meant his girls were looked after."

"Suppose, but couldn't you take Pol with you instead of me?"

"She'll be there too, even Ada's coming. Apparently, she's a fan of this ballerina that's performing." He placed the bottle of vodka back into the crate and whistled for one of the men to seal it and send it over to Maxwell's.

"So, it's goin' to be one big Shelby family reunion?" Arthur smirked as he placed his hands in the pockets of his blazer. "Mr Maxwell's goin' to have his handful tonight."

"These people have class, Arthur. For one night, I'm goin' to ask you to hide your true personality. Drink the vodka, make small talk but most importantly no fighting."

"Fine, for one night only."

"Good, now go help the boys with the rest of these crates." He watched his brother as he barked orders at their factory workers and shook his head, Tommy had to maintain his reputation now that he was titled, he couldn't have Arthur embarrassing the Shelby name in front of his peers.

He ran his hands down his cheeks and stepped out to the fresh air; if Tommy was to be re-elected, he'd need these upper-class folks to back him. It was all going to be down to their first impression of him. Sometimes it felt like he had bitten off more than he could chew but he had planned for this; Tommy wanted this and now that he had this power, he didn't entirely know what he was going to do with it.

* * *

He placed his best suit onto his frame and examined every stitch in the mirror as Lizzie watched on, a brow raised and a cigarette hanging from her fingers. She couldn't help but laugh to herself as she watched him tinker at the sleeves and brush himself off.

"What are you playin' at?" she stepped towards him, her emerald dress skimming her ankles as she walked.

"I have to look just right for these people. I've gotta be taken seriously, don't I?" he placed his cap onto his head and turned to his wife, resting his hands on her exposed shoulders. "Go get your coat on or you'll catch somethin'."

"I'll be alright. How's your head?" she scanned his face in concern and watched as he just stared at her. "Tommy, answer me. Are you still taking those pills the doctor gave ya?"

"I've got them in my coat pocket just in case an episode comes on me. Don't be makin' a fuss, Liz. I'll be okay." He looked over himself one last time before allowing Lizzie to loop her arm in his. "Shall we get goin' then?"

"A night at the ballet, I never thought I'd see the day." She smiled at the ground as she followed Tommy out to the car. "If only Ruby were old enough to understand what was happenin'. She'd love this."

"Once she can walk, you can enrol her in this academy. She's the reason I've gave this man so many donations." He looked at his wife, an air of sincerity crossing him. "I don't want her to ever go through what we've gone through."

Lizzie nodded in understanding and placed her hand over Tommy's; his skin felt like ice. "She won't. Those kids'll have it better than us."

* * *

He had never experienced sitting in his own box overlooking a stage; the closest thing he had ever got to this was sitting ringside at a fist fight, but things were moving up for the Shelby's, so their entertainment had to as well. As he watched the two dancers, he was starting to see why Ada enjoyed this so much. He understood the story they told all too well; betrayal, hurt and death. It was as if they had constructed this art for his eyes only, like they had been watching his whole life unfold. When Tommy looked to his brother, even he seemed to be impressed by what they were watching and then his eyes roamed to the crowd below them. He spotted a man staring up at him, a wicked looking smirk crossing his face as he tipped his top hat at him. Thomas had no idea who he was, but he was going to make a point of finding out.

He had a bad feeling about him and Thomas always trusted his gut instincts. He just needed to get his name.

* * *

Once their piece was finished, Cora and Julian stepped into their changing room; Edward was already waiting, a grin on his face as he looked at the two. He was proud of them, they brought his vision to life much better than what he had expected with very little practice. Cora watched her husband stretch out his arms for an embrace, expecting it to be her that he wanted to congratulate first, but Julian filled the space in his arms quickly and placed a kiss onto his lips. Her eyes dropped to the floor and her smile faded as she let the two lovers have their moment. She only looked up when she felt Edward's hand on her shoulder and saw the way he looked at her; it was completely different from how he looked at Julian.

Deep down, Cora wished that he would look at her with love, just once, she didn't want her marriage to be a complete sham. All she wanted was for someone to love her.

"Well done, you did amazing." He said finally.

"We couldn't have done it without you." She stepped towards the dress that was hung up for her and took it over to her changing area. "How did the crowd react? Did you see it before you moved back here?"

"From what I saw, you two had a standing ovation." Edward kept his back to Cora as she changed into her dress.

"Even your father stood up." Julian added as he prepared his suit. "Didn't you look back?"

"I never look back, I only look forward. Looking back can sometimes end in heartache." She glided towards a mirror and fixed her hair into a more suitable fashion. She watched how Edward and Julian shared a look from the reflection and applied some colour to her lips. They were judging her, they didn't really hide it well.

"That dress looks beautiful on you, just in case you didn't know." Edward said after a while.

Julian stepped towards the door, waiting for the two of them to leave the dressing room. Edward and Cora would have to arrive at the party together, hand in hand.

"I know, it's why I picked it." She took a hold of Edward's hand loosely and tried to prepare herself for the barrage of people that would be approaching her at the party.

"You really do look beautiful." He had known Cora long enough to tell that something was going on with her, she wasn't acting like herself; she hadn't since she left New York. He didn't know what it was but the spark she usually had, it was nearly extinct.

"There's no need for you to be kind, you and I both know it'll lead nowhere." She said quietly.

"Come on, Cora. There's no need to get on like that. I'm just trying to be kind to you."

She paused outside the door that led to the party upstairs and looked at Edward, then to Julian. "I can tell that the two of you pity me, I see it on your faces. Your kindness towards me is killing me. Tonight, all I want is a little bit of distance. We'll make an appearance as a couple and then go our separate ways."

Edward looked a little nervous, but he nodded reluctantly. "If that's what you need."

She nodded once and set her hand on the handle as she tried to muster up the strength to put on a brave face. "Let's get to this party then, shall we?"

* * *

**A:N Thank you for taking the time to read this story, in the next chapter, Tommy and Cora will meet and a new enemy will cross Tommy's path. Let me know what you think will happen and what you want to see.**


	3. Cry for Help

**To Fix a Broken Heart**

**Summary: **She was broken, fragile and in pieces. Cora was a troubled girl who just happened to get involved with the Shelby family. No one ever asks for a dangerous life but when it's thrown at you, there are only two things you can do; let it engulf you or run away and she didn't want to run.

**Cry for Help**

**A:N If any of you haven't watched the newest season, I'd be weary of spoilers as I'm changing one of the storylines used to fit into my story along with the villain of season 5 just because I really enjoyed the character, so if you haven't watched yet and don't want to be spoiled, click off the story now. **

* * *

When they opened the doors, the crowd stood and applauded as the two dancers walked in, with Edward still attached to Cora's arm and Julian leading them in. She kissed her father on the cheek coldly and took her spot beside him, Edward to her right and Julian just beside him. She didn't really pay attention to what her father was saying, she was finding it hard to concentrate on anything, but the way Julian's eyes flickered between Edward and the crowd. Every time she looked at her husband, her partner was already looking at him, smiling. She lowered her head, waiting for her father's speech to end but what she wasn't expecting was for him to ask her to say a few words. She took in a deep breath and clasped her hands in front of her body, her fingers fiddling with the rings on her finger.

"I just want to say thank you to every single person who made donations to this academy. I hope that young girls and boys find as much joy as I have in ballet. I wouldn't have gotten where I am today without a father like mine," she said through a clenched smile as she glanced at him, "pushing me into something that I am so passionate about. I'd also like to thank Julian for being an amazing partner." She turned her body towards them but instead of Julian looking at her, he and Edward shared a smile and it made her blood boil. It was like Julian was trying to embarrass her in public, but she wasn't going to let it happen.

"But most importantly, I want to thank Edward," she took his hand and once she did, his full attention was given to her, "you have been with me every step of the way, choreographing all of my most popular routines and keeping good care of me while we've been travelling through Europe. I'm so lucky to be your wife." Edward leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips but when he went to pull away, she wrapped her arm around his neck and whispered into his ear, "Tell Julian to calm down. If I can see the way he looks at you then so can everyone else." She placed her hand on Edward's cheek briefly before taking her leave to the bar. She needed the drink.

* * *

"I thought ballerinas would've been on a stricter diet?" a voice said from behind her. She didn't recognise the tone, but that could've been because she had downed three or four gin and tonics.

"Mr Shelby," she was surprised, it wasn't every day that she met someone that frequented Westminster, "I would like to thank you for your generous donation." She tried to remain as professional as possible even though she was far, far too drunk.

"I thought a dance academy was a great idea for Small Heath. I have a daughter and I know that she would love it here."

Cora nodded once and looked at the two women that were on either side of Mr Shelby. "And which one of you lovely ladies would be Mrs Shelby?"

"I'm Lizzie, Tommy's wife." She held out her hand towards Cora. It took her a moment to shake it.

"And you are?" she looked at the other woman expectantly.

"Ada Thorne, I'm Tommy's sister. I adored that piece you performed. I actually went to see you in Paris last year."

"Our Ada is a huge fan of yours." Tommy added with a small smirk as he eyed up the blonde. There was something strange about her and it wasn't the booze.

"Aren't you just the sweetest thing in the room." Cora exclaimed as she waved the barman over for another drink. "Tell me this, Ada, do you live in Birmingham? You see, I've only been here for a day or two and I'll be here for a while and I'm so terribly lonely." She gripped her glass and continued to ramble on desperately as the alcohol seeped deeper and deeper into her bloodstream.

* * *

Edward was by her side almost instantly, his arm around her waist as he tried to calm her. "Come on, love. There are a few people over her that would like to speak to you." He excused himself and Cora and dragged her over to the corner of the room.

"Well Ada, did she live up to your expectations?" Lizzie teased her as they moved closer to the bar.

Tommy placed his hands into his pockets and kept his eyes on the couple, watching how they interacted with each other. Cora pushed his hands off her body and scolded him for taking her away. Then it seemed as if her reprimanded her for her behaviour before he stormed off, joining Norman Maxwell and Cora's dance partner.

"Tommy, do you want something to drink?" Ada called out from the bar.

He looked towards her and nodded. "Whiskey, Irish."

* * *

As the night moved on, press started to crowd around Tommy, asking him for his opinion about the academy and for any updates on his policies. He was alone in a sea of people and growing tired of being at this party.

"Mr Shelby," a man with a Russian accent said as he broke into the group that huddled around him, "do you recognise me?"

Tommy stared at the man; he was the one with the top hat that caught his attention. It seemed as if this stranger was trying to make a point of meeting him too. "I do but I can't place a name."

"Dominik Gobrev," he held his hand out, his eyes skimming over the people that were shoulder to shoulder with him as Tommy took his hand, "perhaps we could have a moment to become acquainted. Alone."

"Sure, why not." He sighed, excusing himself from the group. He led the Russian out to the balcony and lit up a cigarette. "Who are you?"

"A potential ally, if you play your cards right." Dominik took a cigar from his top pocket and placed it between his teeth. "I too play a part in politics and I have an offer for you that you will not refuse."

"Tell me what it is and then I'll tell you whether or not I refuse." he placed one hand on the railings, gripping hard until his knuckles turned white.

"I want you to infiltrate a rising party in your cabinet and report your findings back to the Russian government. Fascism is rising all over and we Communists aren't going to hold on forever."

Tommy took a long drag from his cigarette and blew the smoke out of his nose in frustration. He hated having his hand forced. "And how d'you know that I'm not a Fascist?"

"You've got gypsy blood in your veins comrade."

"What do you want me to do then?"

"Infiltrate the party and record intel. We'll handle the messy business."

"Why me? I'm sure someone more devoted your cause would do it." He glanced over his shoulder, looking Dominik in the eye.

"I am sure they wouldn't give me as much bother as you, but I've heard plenty about you from mutual friends, you get the job done."

"And if I refuse?" Tommy turned his head towards Dominik and raised a brow.

"Then no one will ever see you again." He tilted his hat and his face became clearer in the lowlight. Tommy could see the scars underneath his eye that ended by his top lip. "Am I understood Mr Shelby?"

"Crystal clear." He said through gritted teeth.

Dominik smiled and finally lit up his cigar. "I will be in touch. Have a good night."

* * *

The rage and jealousy that had been bubbling away inside her was rising to the top with every drink she guzzled down. It didn't help Edward and Julian were going back on their promise to her. They had done nothing but flaunt their relationship and it hurt. Watching the person, she loved love another killed her inside. She finished her drink and stumbled towards her husband, using the people around her to stay upright.

"Edward, I need to talk to you." She mumbled as she collapsed into his arms.

"Not here, Cora." He glanced over at Julian, pulling a face before hooking an arm around her to keep her upright. "Let's get some fresh air, try to sober you up a bit."

"What's going on?" Norman was concerned, he had never seen his daughter like this, and it scared him. "Cora, are you okay?"

"I'm going to take her outside, get her away from all the people before she embarrasses herself." Edward was trying to be quiet enough so that Cora didn't hear him, but she could hear him perfectly.

"Embarrass myself? The only thing that's embarrassing is you!" she pushed him away from her and tried her best to break away from him, but she went down almost instantly.

"You better get control of her before the press sees this. We don't need the academy getting bad stories." Julian remarked as he helped Edward pick her up from the floor.

"Don't touch me." She pushed Julian away and ran towards the balcony, crashing through the door. She made her way to the far corner, leaning on the railings for support. Cora was completely oblivious that Edward had followed her out and that somebody else was there, watching everything unfold between them.

* * *

"What has gotten into you? Why are you making a fool out of yourself?" he was angry, but he was trying not to shout at her.

"Me making a fool out of myself?" she laughed in his face and turned her back on him. "You and Julian are the ones making a fool out of me. Rubbing your relationship in my face when you said you wouldn't!"

"How are we rubbing anything in your face? We haven't touched and we've been with your father the whole time, talking to the partygoers and benefactors while you've been at the bar, seething in your jealousy." He leaned in towards her, talking lowly in her ear. "Whether you like it or not, Julian and I are together and I know it hurts you that I can't love you the way you want me to, but I do love you the way a friend loves a friend. I hate that I lead you on at the beginning, but I have to protect myself and Julian."

"Because that's all that matters, you and Julian. The next time we have to make an appearance, you stay by my side like any other husband would. All I'm asking is for you to keep up appearances and stop making things so obvious."

"You're only seeing what you want to see. Pull your head out of your ass, Cora." He took a step back from her and straightened himself out. "You better sober up before you come back to the party."

She waited until Edward had went back to the party before she let a heavy sob escape her chest. This was the lowest she had ever felt, and, in her mind, there was no way to come back from this. Cora was almost certain that other people had noticed how the two men got on with each other and they were probably laughing at her. Who doesn't realise that the person who was courting her for so long preferred men to women? She looked like an idiot and Edward was right, she was making a fool out of herself. Cora leaned over the railings, staring down at the street below her wondering if the pain of hitting the floor would hurt less than the pain in her heart. When she realised how high up, she was and the sight of ground beneath the balcony, she felt sober but not enough to stop her from trying to climb over the edge.

* * *

Tommy had managed to ignore whatever was going on between the dancer and her husband, he had even turned his back to the whole ordeal as he had his smoke and replayed the words of Mr Gobrev in his mind to drown out the noise but when he turned back around to go back inside, he couldn't ignore what Cora was trying to do. He ran to the other side of the balcony and gripped onto both of her arms before she had the chance to jump. She looked over her shoulder sharply, the tears streaming down her face as she looked at him in bewilderment. He could see the pain that oozed out of her, but he wasn't going to stand by and let her do what she intended to do.

"Cora, d'you know me?" when she shook her head he continued, "I'm Thomas Shelby, that MP that you were chattin' with earlier."

"I don't remember…"

"Well you've had a lot to drink. Why don't you climb back over that railin' for me and we'll continue chattin'?" when she nodded at him and started to turn, he realised that she was too drunk to realise what her legs were doing. "Okay, stay still, I'll pull you over."

Once she was out of harm's way, she looked through the window and let out a sigh of relief; no one had saw what was going on. She looked at Tommy as he placed his jacket around her shoulders. "Why'd you stop me?"

"Why'd you want to kill yourself?"

"I've a lot going on in my head, alright?" her tears started to fall again, and she kept her hand to her nose. "You wouldn't understand."

* * *

If anyone understood how she felt, it was Tommy. His mind constantly ran at a mile a minute and sometimes he felt like it was too much; but unlike Cora, he had a family to fall back on. From what he had saw, it seemed as if the people closest to her didn't really care.

"Why don't you tell me then? You clearly need someone to talk about it to."

"Why do you even care?" she looked him in the eye and watched his face soften.

"Because, sometimes you need someone to listen. Especially when you think that hanging over the edge of the building is the answer to whatever's goin' on."

"I just want to get back to my hotel."

"Okay, I'll take you back, but I think it's best if we stay discreet. I'm sure you don't want your husband followin' you. Not when he's the reason for this in the first place."

When Tommy put his arm around her shoulders and led her towards the emergency stairwell, she mumbled, "He's not my husband, he's just pretend."

* * *

**A:N Thank you so much for reading, I've a lot of plans for this story now that I know what direction I want to take it in. I will be influenced by the latest season but not too heavily. Mr Mossley will be a antagonist and will eventually cross paths with Cora. Let me know what you guys thought of the chapter, all feedback is welcome whether it is positive or negative. Again, thank you for all the support!**


	4. Broken Bonds

**To Fix a Broken Heart**

**Summary: **She was broken, fragile and in pieces. Cora was a troubled girl who just happened to get involved with the Shelby family. No one ever asks for a dangerous life but when it's thrown at you, there are only two things you can do; let it engulf you or run away and she didn't want to run.

**Broken Bonds**

* * *

They crashed into the hotel room, both soaking wet from the lashing rain and sober from the freezing cold. She took Tommy's blazer from off her head and returned it to him with a sheepish smile. Cora felt extremely embarrassed and as she replayed her actions from throughout the night, she felt ashamed. There was going to be hell to pay with Edward in the morning, but that wasn't her problem now; her current problem was trying to save her reputation with a reputable donor to her father's academy.

"What happened tonight, that's not usually me." She couldn't bring herself to look Tommy in the eye as he stood in front of her, shivering. "I don't know what was going through my mind."

"You don't need to explain." He felt sympathetic towards the woman, he didn't know much about her but from what he had seen, he could tell that she didn't live a happy life. Everything was smoke and mirrors with her.

"Do you want a fresh shirt? It's the least I could do after all you've done for me. Or perhaps some tea?"

Cora looked as if she was about to burst into tears and although he didn't know her at all, he couldn't leave her in this state; not when she already tried to end her life once. He knew how she felt, to feel like there was no other way out; he would never admit it, but he had thought about it once or twice.

He sat on the edge of her bed, removing his soaked hat from his head. "Tea, two sugars."

She nodded and got to work, her hands trembling as she measured out the sugar. "Have you always lived in Birmingham, Mr Shelby?"

"Call me Tommy and yes. There's nowhere else I'd rather be; I've saw London and I've saw the deep country. Birmingham is the only place that's called to me." He stood up as she brought his tea over to him and took it off her carefully. "Where'd you call home?"

She took a sip from her teacup and thought very hard about her answer, but she was drawing a blank. "I don't know, I've never stayed in one place for too long."

"Did you grow up here?"

"I spent a few years in Moscow and a few years in London but once I started dancing professionally, I was shipped off here, there and everywhere." She sighed a little and sat beside him on the edge of the bed, daring herself not to look at his face. "There's only one place that I've felt happy enough to consider moving my life, but it was ruined for me very quickly." Cora took a sip of her tea quickly, hoping that it would stop Tommy from deep diving into her troubles.

"And where is that?"

"New York. That city made me feel alive again." She bit her lip as she thought about the man, she had met there. When she thought hard enough, she could still feel his warm embrace and the feeling of his skin on hers.

"I'm sure your father won't keep you in this city for long."

"I would love to tour but now that we've returned, I'm sure my father will have sunk his claws into Edward and made him reconsider another tour."

"Don't let your father get in the way of your ambitions." He smiled ever so slightly when she finally looked him in the eye. "He ain't gonna know what's best for you."

"I don't even know what's best for me," Cora stared at the band on her finger that bound her to a man she was starting to loathe, "clearly."

He watched her contemplate her decisions and grew curious about the drunken comment she had made as they fled the party. "Can I ask one question?"

"Depends what it is." She watched him from the corner of her eye.

"What did you mean when you said that Edward was only pretend?" He watched a smirk cross her face before she jolted up, taking their empty cups over to the sink.

"My drunken self has clearly gotten me into hot water." She turned and leaned against the wall, shrugging her shoulders as she stepped towards the bed. "Legally we are married but it's all a façade." She twirled the ring on her finger as she spoke. "The man that I married is a homosexual which I don't mind, I would just rather my husband not be one. We were engaged for a year, seeing each other exclusively for two and not once did he let on that he was screwing my dance partner."

"Why marry 'im if you knew?"

"Because I loved him when I married him, and I foolishly hoped that he would reciprocate it one day. I also thought that if I kept his secret shielded from the world that he'd realise that I'm not so bad and that his feelings would grow." She lowered herself back onto the bed, her hands instantly covering her face. "Now I'm stuck in a loveless marriage watching from the side lines as he has his cake while eating it."

* * *

As he watched her breakdown all over again, there was only one way for him to make her stop crying; he was going to have to take her mind off her own problems and expose his own. What he was about to tell her was something that he had kept to himself and nobody else. He turned to her and pulled her hands away from her face, handing her his handkerchief to dry her eyes with.

"You're not the only one who ain't in love with who they married."

"You too?" when he nodded at her, she appeared to be confused. "But you seemed to be in good spirits with your wife."

"I only married 'er because I knocked 'er up. My first marriage was out of love, but the second was out of pity. No one would go near 'er knowing that she had, had my kid."

She screwed up her face in confusion as she dabbed at her eyes; Tommy had been nothing but a gentleman to her and she saw no reason for anyone to be terrified of him. "Why would people be scared of you?"

"It's best that you don't know what I used to do for a living."

Cora nodded and noticed how exhausted his skin looked; he had endured many sleepless nights and fair share of heartbreak. His face gave it all away. "And do you feel trapped too?"

"I feel as if there's a weight 'round my ankles and I can't shake it free."

She set her hand on top of his for a fleeting moment and stared at him sympathetically. "You're not the only one who feels like that. If I could start over, I'd never accept Edward's proposal."

"If only we had hindsight." He changed his tone; he didn't want to drag her down anymore than what she already was. He wanted to see her smile genuinely, just once and then he would leave.

"Maybe some bonds were meant to be broken." She shrugged and tried to hand him back his handkerchief, but he gripped her hands and stopped her from passing the cloth over.

"You might need that more than me."

"I'll keep it as a memento; the only thing the man who saved my life gave me." She smiled and got back onto her feet. "I've kept you long enough, Tommy." She walked him towards the door and leaned against it, her hand rested on the handle. "I don't know how I'll ever repay you for what you did for me."

"You don't need to repay me." He stood in the middle of her doorway and placed his wet blazer back onto his shoulders.

She stepped into his personal space and placed a kiss on his cheek and that's all she was going to give him until they locked eyes as she pulled away from him. His arm hooked around her waist and pulled her into a kiss. It was brief but enough to stir up some sort of emotion inside of her; was it the alcohol that they had consumed at the party or did he have an attraction towards her? Cora didn't want him to leave, she'd invite him back in if he wasn't adamant on returning home.

"Goodnight Cora." His hand lingered on her back until he took a few steps back from her.

"Will I see you again?" she pressed her lips against each other as she watched him walk away from her room.

"Probably."

* * *

The moment he got back into his home, he took the pills the doctor gave him to stop his mind from racing, out of his pocket and swallowed it back dry. He wasn't expecting Lizzie to be awake, but she was, and she was waiting for him in front of the fire, staring into it as she held a half-drunk glass of whiskey in her hand. Her head turned towards him as he walked into the sitting room and she raised a brow at him, unimpressed with late he returned.

"Where were ya?" she said quietly. Lizzie didn't want to shout at him, and she didn't want him to hear the worry in her voice. She had no illusions about their relationship, but she expected faithfulness while he was still sleeping with her.

"I walked that ballerina that Ada liked back to her hotel." He said as he strolled cautiously into the room.

Lizzie swallowed back the last of her drink and turned her head back towards the fire. "You've been missing for hours. What did you do when you got there?"

"We just talked."

"Just talked? For hours?" she let out a sarcastic laugh and looked towards the ceiling. "How much in common do you have with a fuckin' ballerina, Tommy?"

"You'd be surprised." He took a seat, leaning into his armchair as he lit up a cigarette. He watched the smoke dance around his head as he tried to wrap his head around the emotions that flared up during that kiss. Would it be wrong of him to keep it to himself? It would only hurt her if she knew.

"You fucked her, didn't ya?" Lizzie whipped round; the fury written all over her face.

Tommy shook his head and took a long drag of the tobacco. "We just talked. She tried to jump off the side of the dance academy and I pulled 'er back over the balcony."

The fury faded and Lizzie's interest was piqued. She was curious now. "Why was she trying to jump?"

"She was too drunk to think clearly and 'er husband made a fool out of her." He thought about keeping Cora's secret, but it was her secret to keep; it was Edward's and right now, after seeing the state that he had left Cora in, he didn't feel like keeping it. He didn't deserve Tommy's silence. "And 'er husband likes men. He's been sleeping with the dance partner."

Lizzie placed her hand over her mouth, enjoying the sense of drama that Tommy's information instilled. "I don't believe that." She let out a tut and set her glass down by the fireplace. "That poor girl. I suppose you couldn't leave her, not when she was in that state."

"Couldn't risk her finishin' the job when I left." He looked at Lizzie as she stepped towards him. She stopped at the back of the armchair and wrapped an arm around his chest and placed a kiss on the top of his head. He felt nothing, no warmth and no connection.

"You're a good man, Tommy." She walked towards the door; her hand rested on the back of her neck. "Are you coming to bed?"

"I'm not tired, maybe later."

* * *

She jolted awake when she heard a furious knocking at her door. Cora looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was too early for anyone to be visiting her. The sun hadn't even risen yet. She got out of bed and placed a long, silky robe over her frame and answered the caller at her door. It was Edward and he looked furious.

"What are you playing at, Cora?" he marched into her hotel room and stood in the middle of the room with his arms folded across his chest. "Why did you leave the party without telling anyone? I thought someone had stolen you and was holding you at ransom."

"You didn't think that maybe I had, had too much to drink and just went home?" she raised a brow at him and sat on her bed, the pillows supporting her back. She wasn't going to tell him what had actually happened to her. He didn't deserve to know, not when he was the reason, she tried to end it all.

"You could have told me or your father that you were leaving. We made a toast to you only to find that you weren't in the room, you weren't even in the building."

"A toast?" she placed her hand on her chest and feigned flattery. "What an honour."

He let out a sigh and rubbed at his eyes, trying his best not to show his frustrations with her. "Why are you being such a bitch?"

"After the way you spoke to me tonight, you're lucky I haven't shot you." She rested her head against the wall, her eyes rolling towards his shocked face. "Sometimes I think it would be easier, living life locked away instead of being trapped in this relationship."

"You're not trapped Cora," he sat beside her, his hand rested on her leg, "I've given you all the freedom you could dream of."

"I'm not free when I'm bound to you. What if I found someone that loved me the way I deserve to be loved? I couldn't marry them; I wouldn't be able to have a child with them and I wouldn't be able to walk with them hand in hand in the open world." She smiled cynically at him; her eyes wide. "How is that freedom?"

"Do you think I want to be married to you?"

"Yes, because it keeps the homophobes off your back." She pushed his hand off her leg and placed her hand under her chin. "I think I want a divorce, well an annulment; we haven't consummated the marriage."

"Be fair with me, Cora. If you find someone that you want to spend the rest of your life with then I'll happily sign divorce papers, but don't ruin me before that day."

Cora didn't know if it was Tommy's words or the wake-up call that was dealt to her has she stood on that balcony, but she needed to look out for her own wellbeing before putting anyone else before her. She was the only person she could count on and it was time for her to be the selfish one.

"Let me think about it because from now on, I'm putting myself first." She just raised her brow at Edward as he stared at her in horror. "The door is over there, close it on your way out."

* * *

**A:N What happened to Cora in the last chapter is going to be like a kind of rebirth for her; she's not going to let the men in her life walk all over her and she's going to do whatever she wants, so expect loose morals and for Cora to have fun as she awaits her divorce. Thanks so much for reading, I appreciate the feedback! Hope you enjoyed :)**


End file.
